Automotive companies develop an automatic braking systems to avoid or mitigate vehicle collisions. In particular, the automatic emergency braking system may be designed to avoid or mitigate a collision with a bicyclist. These systems require the detection of a bicycle. Such systems use camera and/or radar currently operating at a frequency between 76-77 GHz to detect the bicycle. Bicycles have a predetermined radar signature which is recognized by the radar. Bicycles have a predetermined shape and outline which is recognized by an optical sensor such as a camera. The bicycle and the vehicle are used to perform different scenarios, and the performance of the automatic braking system is then evaluated.
Currently, evaluation of an emergency braking system requires an actual bicycle. However, using an actual bicycle may be costly as the bicycle may damage the test vehicle or testing may require multiple bicycles as the bicycle may be rendered inoperable after a collision with the test vehicle. The use of a fully functional bike is necessary in the evaluation of the emergency braking system as it is necessary to correctly evaluate the effectiveness of optical sensors and radars.
Accordingly, it remains desirable to have an apparatus configured to have a radar cross section pattern similar to that of a bicycle, and to also resemble, in shape and size, a bicycle, wherein the apparatus is further configured to withstand a load from a crash test vehicle and minimize damage to the test vehicle. In particular, it is required to have an apparatus which looks like a real bicycle for the automotive emergency braking system when viewed from different angles and has the same radar cross section from different angles as an average bicycle to automotive radars.